Fire-extinguisher.



A. C. LA MAY. PIRE EXTINGUISHER. APPLICATION FILED IEB. 5, 1912.

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ARTHUR C. LA MAY, F ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1 9, 1912.

Application led February 5, 1912. Serial No. 675,421.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR C. LA MAY,

y of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Extinguishers, whichimprovement is fully set forth in the following specification and shownin the accompanying drawings.

The present invention relates to fire extinguishers and moreparticularly to the type in which gas is generated by chemicals for thepurpose of ejecting the extinguishing fluid.

An object of the invention is to provide a construction in which the gasgenerating chemicals are separate from the extinguishing Huid and arecombined only when it is desired to expel such fluid from its container,this result being more particularly advantageous when the carbontetrachlorid is employed as the extinguishing Huid a'lthough there maybe employed other tire extinguishing chemicals which are not capable offorming an incombustible gas suiicientto expel the fire extinguishingfluid from its container.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain parts andcombinations of parts all of which will be hereinafter described, thenovel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, the figure is a vertical section through a fireextinguisher constructed in accordance with this invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 indicates a containerhaving a tiexi ble discharge tube 2 extending from a point near thebottom thereof to a head 3 to which said tube is connected, said headbeing removably secured to the top of the container and having a passage4 leading to the casing 5 of a turn plug 6, the casing is in thisinstance being rigid with the head and, when the plug is shifted to oneposition, as shown in the figure, it closes the passage 4, but, whenshifted substantially 180 degrees, the port 7 of the turn plug registerswith the passage 4 and establishes communication with a nipple 8 towhich the distributing hose 9 is connected. Within the container 1 isarranged the fire extinguishing liquid 10 which is preferably carbontetrachlorid.

For the purpose of generating a gas for expelling the fire extinguishingliquid from the container when needed and, at the saine time, not tomaintain a constant gas pressure within the container, there areemployed chemicals separate from or other than the extinguishing fluid.Yfor producing a gas preferably an incombustible gas like carbon dioxidor carbonio acid gas.

Preferably one of the chemicals is of such a nature that it will notcombine with the fire extinguishing fluid and is of less specificgravity so that it will float or be suspended upon such fluid. In thisinstance, the tioating chemical 11 is a solution of bicarbonate of sodawhich will not mix mechanically or chemically with carbon tetrachlorid,butfloats upon the surface of the latter, due to its being of lessspecific gravity. The other chemical which combines with the tioatingchemical 11 is arranged in a separate container and is indicated at 12.In this instance, this chemical is sulfuric acid which, when dischargedinto the container 1 to inix with the bicarbonate of soda, producescarbon dioxid or carbonio acid gas which expels the carbon tetrachloridand, at the same time, saturates the latter, thus adding to itsefliciency as a fire extinguisher, owing to the fact that carbonio acidgas is incoinbustible.

The form of the container for the separated chemical is immaterial. Itis only necessary' that the latter be held out of contact with thefloating chemical and be adapted to be mixed therewith at the propertime. In this instance, the container is in the form of a chamber in theturn plug 6, said chamber having a glass, lead, or other acid proofinterior wall 13 and having outlets 14: adapt ed to be alined withpassages 15 in the head 3. The passages 15 and the turn plug casing 5may also be lined with acid proof material.

lVith the form of the invention herein shown, the parts when ready foruse occupy the posit-ions shown in the drawing. Upon turning the plug 6by means of the hand piece 16, a port 17 is caused to aline with passage4 and ports 16 to register the passage 15. The acid 12 is therebydischarged onto the flo-ating liquid 11, causing the generation ofcarbonio acid gas above the liquid 10 which is thereby forced throughthe tube 2 to and from the hose 9, the carbonio acid gas also saturatingthe carbon tetrachlorid and being thereby discharged from the fireextinguisher.

From the foregoing it will be seenthat there has been provided a fireextinguisher Which is capable of employing a fire extinguisher of thetype in which the pressure is obtained from the mixture of chemicals,While, at the same time, a fire extinguishing liquid having the greatestefficiency may be employed in connection therewith, the fireextinguishing liquid not 'being used for the purpose of generating thegas. Furthermore such liquid is saturated at the time of use with anincombustible gas thereby increasing its efficacy.,

This invent-ion makes it possible to use carbonio acid gas for expellingcarbon tetrachlorid, one of the best liquid fire extinguishers, from acontainer Without maintaining the Hre extinguishing liquid under thepressure of the carbonio acid gas except when the demand for suchpressure is necessary.

The construction of the Valve herein shown is not claimed herein as itforms the subject matter of an application for patent Hled by me on evendate herewith, Serial #675,420 v What I claim as my invention and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a fire extinguisher, the combination with a container, of a fireextinguishing Huid therein, and gas generating chemicals unmixed Withsaid extinguishing Huid and adapted to be combined Within the container.

2. A Hre extinguisher comprising a con'- tainer, an extinguishing Huidtherein, a chemical of less specific gravity than the extinguishing Huidheld suspended on. said Huid, and a chemical for mixing with' theHeating Huid to produce a gas for ejecting the extinguishing Huid.

3. A fire extinguisher comprising a convtainer, an extinguishing Huidtherein, and two chemicals Which when combined produce a gas, one ofsaid chemicals Heating on the extinguishing Huid and the other beingarranged to be combined With the floating chemical.

4. In a fire extinguisher, the combination With two containers, andmeans yfor discharging the contents of one into the other, of a Hreextinguishing Huid arranged in the latter, a floating chemical on saidfire extinguishing fluid, and a chemical in the discharging containerwhich when mixed with the floating chemical produces a gas for expellingthe lire extinguishing Huid.

5; A fire extinguisher comprising carbon tetrachlorid, and two chemicalsheld separated from each other and adapted when combined to producecarbonio acid gas for saturating and expelling the carbon tetrachlorid.

6. A Hre extinguisher comprising carbon tetrachlorid, 4a solution ofbicarbonate of soda Heating on said carbon tetrachlorid and sulfuricacid held separate from both ofthe tirst named chemicals but adapted tobe mixed With the solution of bicarbonate of soda.

7. A fire extinguisher comprising a container, an extinguishing Huidtherein, a solution of bicarbonate of. soda Hoat-ing on said Huid andsulfuric acid held separated from both of said chemicals but adapted tobe mixed with the bicarbonate of soda.

ARTHUR C. LA MAY.

Witnesses:

HAROLD H. SIMMs, ADA M. WHITMORE.

